Happily I got home after buying Linux FORMAT with the latest software of Mandriva.

Booting the computer (with the DVD) and the installation process starts. Pressing “Enter” to install and the monitor fades out from white to black. Nothing happens. Restarts the installation and the same happen again then pressing “Enter”.

Next time I press “F1”, and then “F3” the system starts. The installation let mi choose country and starts to install drivers. Then the driver for VIA VT6420 SATA Raid starts to load the system stops and nothing happens. Only the mouse pointer is moving.

What can I do to install Mandrivas latest version? I have tried to find other sources for this latest version. None of them manages to pas the VT6420 SATA Raid controller. I have only found a version which is only a stripped of version without any programs or tools for installation of other software.

Hi Volent, looks like you're not getting much response so I'll try and provide some basic advise. I'm running Mandriva 200 LE on an MSI K8N Neo4 Platinum SLI, so potentially not a huge difference from you m/b. However, I've running Nvidia graphics and currently Maxtor IDE drives not SATA.

If you're getting the graphics install up OK, then your ATI is probably OK, although ATI generally is n't as well supported as Nvidia in LINUX. Re the SATA, I believe these should be supported but I've seen issues elsewhere where hardware RAID is being used. You could try disabling this and try to reinstall and if it works use the LINUX software RAID.

If it still does not work, have you got an IDE drive you could try, or try running a CD version of LINUX like Knoppix and see if it runs and what it detects?

I know positively that my ATI card is functioning. I have found a version of the Mandriva x86-64 on www.uninett.no. This version is functioning, but it is a stripped version without nothing else than Open Office. The version on the DVD from LinuxFORMATE stops at the SATA RAID driver installation. The intension is to install Linux on an IDE drive.

Question: How do I mount the SATA RAID disks after installation if I disable the SATA RAID controller in the BIOS? I will be grateful for your answer.

Hi Volent, sorry I don't use SATA, just read elsewhere that other users had run in to issues with the hardware RAID controllers. My understanding is that you only disable the RAID functionality, the SATA drives should still work. I guess you install on one disk and then once complete use the LINUX software RAID to mirror, stripe or whatever you are trying to do. Sorry I can't be of more help.

Had exact same problem too, I have 2 raid controllers, the problematic one for me was my IDE RAID controller, turned it off and it got passed the screen you mentioned. I found Mandriva a bit annoying because whenever yuou plug in new (major) hardware on USB or elsewhere eg turned on my IDE RAID after installation, and the bloody thing wouldn't boot at all.

my recommendation would be Kubuntu. I moved directly to it after trying mandriva and i am WELL pleased

ps i was using BASE and BLOCK functions for the RAID controllers (not RAID configs)

Checked hardware support for my SATA RAID controlller on Mandriva support page, and found it with the instruction to install with "noapic". Tried that, nothing changed. Tried "linux noapic" Eureca! The installation now continued seems to have worked fine. Have not yet rebooted, but hope it will work when I have sorted my XP booting out. Hope this will help you Volant.